Media reports often put Prince's worth at as much as $300 million. Experts, however, say it's unlikely the public will completely know the extent of his wealth or who'll get it now that he's gone.(image)

The Boss is standing with opponents of the law that says transgender people must only use bathrooms that correspond with their sex at birth. The musician says he is supporting "freedom fighters."(image)

Last night, when Prince declared a "takeover" of the Arsenio Hall Show and appeared on most of the one-hour late-night program, his aura was perforated even more cleanly than in his recent tongue-in-cheek appearance on New Girl. The show began with a sit-down interview between Prince and Arsenio, and it was an especially straight-faced talk between the shy pop star and the giddy late-night host. By the time they moved into an audience Q&A it seemed that Prince was game for pretty much any question people could throw at him.(image)

Lou Reed epitomized New York City's artistic underbelly in the 1970s. Reed died Sunday morning on Long Island of complications from a liver transplant earlier this year, his literary agent, Andrew Wylie, said.(image)

The Youngbloods are best known for their hit version of "Get Together" (c'mon people now, smile on your brother, everybody get together, try to love one another right now.) If you dig a little deeper into this record, past the hit single, you'll hear more of a sound reminiscent of The Byrds and The Lovin' Spoonful. We played the side one, track one, Youngbloods original "Grizzely Bear."(image)

This record represents that mid-point between the era of Jefferson Airplane and the band's evolution (or devolution) to Starship. This record still had some of the original members of Jefferson Airplane; Paul Kantner, Marty Balin and Grace Slick) and had the big hit "Miracles." Jill can guarantee at least 5 copies are available in each and every record across the country.(image)

Jerry Lee Lewis scored his biggest hits in the 50's with song like "Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On" and "Great Balls of Fire." The scandal surrounding his marriage to his teenage cousin almost destroyed his music career, but he was able to reinvent himself in the later 60's and 70's as a country act.(image)

Woody Guthrie inspired many young musicians to follow be a wandering musician with a message. For The Current's coffee break on July 13, we asked for artists following in the troubadour tradition.(image)

Ever wonder what kind of tunes some of your favorite writers listen to? I wondered the same thing, and knew I couldn't possibly be the only writer who relied on music for inspiration. I decided to create an occasional show to delve into this very question. This time on "Words and Music," I chat with Dylan Hicks, Ethan Rutherford & Jake Mohan of local band Pennyroyal, and poet Rebecca Lindenberg. We'll hear tracks from Smokey Robinson, Smog, Tortoise, Magnetic Fields, and more.(image)

We can never fully understand the hold some people have on us -- the way some figures loom large in memory and some take on a certain magnetism in the present. Dylan Hicks' debut novel, Boarded Windows, is a tango of sorts, both intellectual and emotional, between a nameless narrator and his shadowy father-figure.(image)

Howler started when Jordan Gatesmith and Max Petrek met at a Planned Parenthood clinic with their respective girlfriends. Despite their overseas popularity, hometown reception for their garage rock sound has been cool.(image)

Still in its infancy, the new band Polica -- fronted by Channy Casselle formerly of Roma di Luna, and featuring additional members from Marijuana Deathsquads, Vampire Hands and Digitata -- performed to a packed Turf Club on Monday night.(image)

The TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is the venue for a huge concert Saturday by the Irish rock band U2. When the concert came up in conversation in the newsroom today, it exposed a deeper-than-expected cultural divide. On one side, there was open derision of U2 as dated, overblown and overrated. On the other side, you heard almost sheepish defense of Bono and company from those who have tickets to the concert.(image)

Featuring horns instead of guitars, and a frontwoman who looks as if she had been lifted from another century, the music of Davina and the Vagabonds doesn't fit the traditional Minneapolis indie rock mold.(image)

Clarence Clemons, the larger-than-life saxophone
player for the E Street Band who was one of the key influences in
Bruce Springsteen's life and music through four decades, has died of complications from a stroke he suffered about a week ago. He was 69.(image)

Bob Mould, co-founder of the seminal Minneapolis punk band Husker Du, as well as the hit-making alt rock group Sugar, has written an autobiography. It's called "See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody," and it chronicles a turbulent time in Mould's life.(image)

Minneapolis native Chan Poling has been in the business of entertaining since 1977. Jeremy Messersmith, the Laurels Quartet and Brian Roessler join Chan to perform some of his favorite film themes. Film-music expert Andy Trudeau will also join us to discuss some familiar cinematic scores.(image)

A recent analysis of the last three decades of hit song lyrics shows a trend in recent years toward narcissism and hostility in popular music. Is today's popular music indicative of increasing self-absorption, or is defining a generation by the Billboard charts a bit of a stretch?(image)

For people of a certain age, the prospect of an evening of Carpenters music probably raises some mixed emotions. The brother-sister team of Richard and Karen Carpenter pumped out hit after hit in the 1970s.
However behind the scenes the Carpenters were troubled. Karen struggled with an eating disorder which was to claim her life in 1983. That facade of pop music happiness covering a real life tragedy forms the basis of a new dance presentation in Minneapolis this weekend.(image)

What do you get when you grow up poor, as an only child of a drunk father and a holy-rolling mother? How about an acclaimed musician, songwriter and now author of the book "Chinaberry Sidewalks." Hear Rodney share his story, through words and songs.(image)

After more than a decade apart, the original members of the Jayhawks have reunited. They joined Midmorning to talk about what brought them back together, and what's to come. The band also performed several songs, including a new song that will be part of its upcoming album.(image)

Many college applications are due at the end of the year, and most students have saved the dreaded essay and resume of activities for last. Midmorning discusses the undergraduate application process: how to navigate it, and whether the current admissions criteria can tell you if a student is worthy of attending a college.(image)

Whether it's food, family, or the four-day weekend, Thanksgiving is about traditions. One musical tradition that has come to mark the holiday in the Twin Cities is Ike Reilly at First Avenue.
The fiery Chicago rocker and singer songwriter has made his Thanksgiving eve show in the mainroom an annual event. Reilly told Chris Roberts of Minnesota Public Radio's Arts Unit that he and his Minnesota fans have a lot in common.(image)

A mid-life crisis leads some people to buy expensive cars, take exotic trips, or even engage in illicit relationships. Journalist Geoff Edgers mid-life brought on a desire to try to get his favorite British band of the sixties to reform.(image)

Jacquie Fuller chats with Miguel Vargas, musichead and host of KFAI's Radio Pocho. From Richie Valens to Los Lobos and beyond, we'll listen to some really cool tunes, get a mini-history lesson from Miguel, and explore the Mexican-American experience through the lens of popular music.(image)

Joan Armatrading has collected honorary degrees and even accolades from Queen Elizabeth for her eclectic music spanning folk, blues, and rock. And yet she feels her character hasn't changed at all over her prolific 40-year career.(image)

Jim McGuinn, program director for 89.3 The Current, was invited recently to visit Prince at his Paisley Park studio complex in Chanhassen. He recalls his meeting with the man behind the music, and reviews Prince's newest album, 20TEN.(image)

Local singer/songwriter Jeremy Messersmith is known for sunny, melodic pop, yet his newest album is all about death and dying. He joins Midmorning to talk about the new record, and why he occupies a "nether-region" of music.(image)

Duluth indie band Low is trying something very new about a very old subject as band members are collaborating with Minneapolis choreographer Morgan Thorson on "Heaven," a dance exploring religious ritual.(image)

St Paul writer Peter Bognanni combines geodesic domes and punk rock in his new novel. "The House of Tomorrow" is an off-kilter coming of age story set in small town Iowa. Bognanni, who teaches at Macalester College, says the book came about from a chance encounter.(image)

It's been 70 years since Noel Coward's movie "Brief Encounter" became an international sensation, but the director of an acclaimed new theatrical adaptation says the story has lost none of its emotional punch. The production by the British Kneehigh Theater opens at the Guthrie in Minneapolis this weekend.(image)

This week the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in downtown St. Paul celebrates its 25th Anniversary with an open house on Sunday that takes a look back at the effort it took to build, and what it has meant to the community.(image)

"Minnesota Beatle Project" is a new CD that features 16 Minnesota-based artists interpreting Beatles songs. One of the more intriguing tracks in the collection is a version of "Norwegian Wood" by Jeremy Messersmith and Zach Coulter. This is the first time they have recorded music together. Messersmith is a solo artist and Coulter is a member of the band Solid Gold. They spoke with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer about the creation of their unique version of the song.(image)

Classical orchestras have long featured popular music or pops to broaden their audiences. The recently appointed pops conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra talks about how she sells new music to audiences young and old.(image)

Local singer Paul Metsa has performed and worked in music for nearly 30 years. He credits his upbringing in the Iron Range and his love of folk for inspiring his songwriting and his bluesman ethos.(image)

Following the release of its latest cd, "Bodies of Water," Minneapolis buzz band Solid Gold has spent the year mesmerizing critics and fans with its electronic pop. The band will cap off a breakthrough year tonight with a show at First Avenue.(image)

When Oscar-winning director Davis Guggenheim persuaded Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page, U2's the Edge and the White Stripes' Jack White to meet for an electric guitar summit there was potential for complete disaster, but it seems Guggenheim's gamble paid off.(image)

Rock band Aerosmith announced this week it will cancel the remaining part of its summer tour -- including a concert in St. Paul -- after lead singer Steven Tyler fell from a stage earlier this month.(image)

It was billed as three days of peace, love, and music, but it turned out to be much bigger than anyone expected. Forty years after the great gathering on Max Yasgur's farm, a nation reflects on the music and the meaning of Woodstock.(image)

From their high school years through the turbulent times with Jefferson Airplane and their partnership in Hot Tuna, Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady have been making music together for more than 50 years. They join Midmorning to talk about their long-running musical partnership.(image)

From hometown shows to the top of the billboard charts, Soul Asylum has reached the heights of national success. Midmorning speaks with the band's lead singer about the track of his 25+ year career with Soul Asylum and as a solo artist.(image)

Bettye LaVette stunned the audience at the last Kennedy Center Honors with a version of The Who song "Love Reign O'er Me". It's an example of the sometimes surprising music choices of the soul singer who is finally gaining a wider audience.(image)

A new book from the University of Minnesota Press explores many facets of Dylan's life and legacy. Highway 61 Revisited: Bob Dylan's Road from Minnesota to the World" touches on everything from Dylan's youth on Minnesota's Iron Range to his emergence as one of the most influential musicians in the world.(image)

Friday night, some longtime unsung heroes of heavy metal music played in Minneapolis. Members of Anvil have been rocking together since the early 1970's and they are credited as being a formative influence on many of the big name bands today. Yet despite playing regularly for more than 30 years, until recently they were relatively unknown. That's changed as a result of a new documentary.(image)

Minneapolis alt-country pioneers The Jayhawks may no longer be a band, but two of its co-founders have reunited as a folk duo. Mark Olson and Gary Louris have released a new CD entitled "Ready for the Flood."(image)

Mark Wheat is looking for love songs. Every Valentine's Day, he hosts a special program on 89.3 The Current featuring some of the greatest love songs of all time. There are some songs that come up over and over again. But every year brings new surprises.(image)

Take the driving intensity of Japanese Taiko drumming. Add the rhythmic precision of drum and bugle music. Then place it in a post-industrial setting, and you have Savage Aural Hotbed, which turns 20 this year.(image)

Vusi Mahlasela is known as "The Voice" in his native South Africa. A singer, guitarist, percussionist and poet, he came of age during the turmoil of the waning days of apartheid. He now plays around the world, singing of the joys and challenges of his homeland. This week, Mahlasela launches a U.S. tour with a concert Saturday night at the Ordway Center in St Paul.(image)

A local producer is launching a new interactive movie program in the Twin Cities, and as a result, Hedwig is coming to town. Later this week the creator, star and director of the cult film "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" will appear as the first guest of "The Talkies" at the Heights Theater in Columbia Heights.(image)

Fifty years ago this week, one of the defining moments in rock and roll history occurred, when musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper were killed in a plane crash. Several events are planned to commemorate the anniversary in Clear Lake, Iowa, where they played their last concert.(image)

"Making the Scene: An Oral History of Twin Cities Rock," traces the evolution of the local-music scene from the mid-1960s through the '90s, through the eyes and ears of key figures from each decade.(image)

For centuries, lovelorn souls have written letters addressed to "Juliet, Verona, Italy." They're writing to the heroine of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. A production at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis takes a musical and theatrical look at "The Juliet Letters."(image)

"Making the Scene: An Oral History of Twin Cities Rock," traces the evolution of the local-music scene from the mid-1960s through the '90s, through the eyes and ears of key figures from each decade.(image)

While 1994 may not stick out in many people's minds as being one of the watershed years of U.S. history, it does for film director Jonathan Levine. "Much like 1776, just with more rap music," he says. It's the year he set his new film "The Wackness."(image)

St. Paul musician Steven Anderson, or Steven C., as his stage name goes, has built a thriving behind-the-scenes career in the "New Age" music industry as a producer and pianist. Now he's stepping out of the shadows with a new CD.(image)

The vinyl record is undergoing somewhat of a resurgence in the Twin Cities music scene. More bands are putting their music out on vinyl, more consumers, especially younger ones, are choosing vinyl over compact discs.(image)

Former Soul Coughing frontman and Brooklyn singer/songwriter Mike Doughty gets a lot of love from Twin Cities musicheads. Doughty has recorded two records in Minneapolis, including his new CD "Golden Delicious" with the help of Grammy winning songwriter Dan Wilson.(image)

Hip hop music appeals to a wider audience than ever. Poet and dancer Marc Bamuthi Joseph says he hopes to teach people of all ages and races that hip hop is not monolithic, and not all negative.(image)